Pages

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Review of The Road to Surfdom at Learning Tangent

Connor Boyack writes an amazing picture book series where two twins (The Tuttle Twins) learn about libertarian economics using real world examples. By their very nature, this series challenges widely-held assumptions about economics and personal liberties. Whenever I read the description of the next book, I think, You can't teach a child that! It's too complicated/controversial/etc.!

Then I read the book and, guess what? You can!

And you should. The Road to Surfdom covers the unintended consequences of central planning and even pictures a farmer who has lost his farm due to rising property taxes and eminent domain. Wow, that sounds like a big topic, right? You can't teach a kid that!

But yes, you can. And you should, because one day in the not-so-distant future, your child will vote on central planning issues.

For example, along with the highly contested presidential race this year, my ballot also included a state-wide vote to expand public transportation. Public transportation is one of those things that often sound great but have the kinds of unintended consequences depicted in The Road to Surfdom. The bond was approved and will affect 76 counties. I wonder if any houses will be torn down and what businesses might fail due to changes in traffic patterns? When we vote to give government this sort of power, these are the kinds of risks we take, and it’s important not only to understand the risks, but to understand how such changes might affect our future.

I'm a libertarian and yet these books manage to challenge my own non-libertarian assumptions--they often remind me of something I 'learned' in my public school education, and then I laugh and laugh. So if these books challenge the way you see the world, that’s a good thing!You can get the Tuttle Twins books at a discount by purchasing the whole set or multiples of a book. Perfect for your friends who believe in small government and big individual freedoms. Check out TuttleTwin.com for more information on this unique series.See my review of The Tuttle Twins and the Road to Surfdom here at Learning Tangent Homeschool Magazine.